Pages

Friday, April 15, 2016

2017 Forester Information

Earlier this year I touched on some changes coming for the 2017 Subaru Forester. Among the changes I already noted in that article, there are a few more new bits that are now confirmed as well as some nice surprising touches that add a level of refinement not seen on previous Foresters... or any other Subaru for that matter.

New for 2017 is the Active Torque Vectoring system from the Subaru WRX and WRX STI is now available on the Touring trim-level of the Forester XT. This is the only Forester model that will feature this change. The Forester also features a new heated steering wheel and an optional Saddle Brown leather package for Touring models. Additionally, the Forester picks up the latest generation of Subaru's award-winning EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, gaining lane-keep assist and better detection abilities. Aiding the front-based EyeSight system, the Forester finally got a blind-spot detection system, and rear cross-traffic alert thanks to two radar sensors placed under the rear bumper cover underneath each tail light. Additionally, there's new Reverse Automatic Braking, Steering Responsive Headlights and High Beam Assist to fill out the suite of safety features on the revised Forester.

On the one hand, some of these updates are long overdue for the Forester. However, the Forester is the first Subaru to feature things like Steering Responsive Headlights and the Heated Steering Wheel. This update is a welcome refresh to one of Subaru's most popular models in the highly competitive Crossover SUV segment. Round it all out with a slight bump in city MPG to keep it's overall fuel efficiency well within range (and sometimes above) it's other AWD competitors.

With this announcement, Subaru will likely roll out the 2017 Forester later this spring. Dealerships are still receiving 2016 models into the month of May, so it could a month more or so before the revised 2017 models make it in. Stay tuned for more updates!